SIX months!

Dear Declan,

You are now six months old.  What a happy boy you are!  Everyone who meets you asks if you are always this happy, and we always answer "yes"!  When you are tired or hungry you let us know, and the rest of the time you are full of smiles, coos, laughs, and wide, happy eyes and expressions.  In the last few weeks you have started sitting up and you are pretty stable on your own.  You still topple over sometimes, mostly when you are tired or reaching for something.  You have rolled belly to back and back to belly but you aren't much of a roller.  I guess because you have moved on to sitting up you don't see it as a life skill just yet.  And that's OK - your big sister was the same way and she turned out just fine!

You just started solid foods and so far you have had sweet potatoes and pears.  You seem to like the taste just fine but you aren't getting too much in your belly just yet.  I am sure you will with time.  For now, you just love milk and the snuggle time you get with Mama when you are nursing.  You just went through a big growth spurt so we are interested to see your stats (apt 10/24).  You ate all day and night for 3+ days - I even had to bring extra milk to daycare at lunch time so you didn't run out because you finished your first bottle 2 hrs early!  You are learning to go to sleep on your own and have been doing pretty well at bedtime and naps with getting yourself to sleep.  The middle of the night is a different story.  You like Mama snuggle time and milk at night which I think at this point is more for comfort than hunger.  However, given your initial bottle issues and various colds you have had, we have been slow to stop this.  In the coming weeks we will work with you on going longer between night feedings and eventually dropping them completely, because Mama can't take much more sleep deprivation!  Although I do enjoy your snuggles!

You love your big sister Teagan so much.  You watch every move she makes so intently, like you are studying to be just like her.  She can make you laugh (and sometimes make you cry) but you are always in awe of her.  Sometimes she gets in your face and you usually pay her back by pulling her hair - I guess that's what little brothers do!  We love watching special moments between you two every day and can't wait to see you two grow up together.

The toys you love include anything you can chew on.  You are definitely in some stage of teething but who knows when those little teeth will make their appearance.  For now I love your gummy smile.  You love your jumperoo recently, and you really get going sometimes.  It isn't quite as bouncy as the jumper at daycare which you seem to enjoy even more.  Since you like to sit up a lot, we have been using 2 legs of the activity table to prop it up so you can play with it while you sit.  This keeps you entertained for a long time.  You can see a whole new world when sitting up and you have been taking notice of things in your surroundings, especially passing kitties!  You also sit in the stroller for walks and you like being able to see out, although you still enjoy riding in the carrier too.

We are so happy to have you in our lives - the last six months has gone by so quickly and we love the personality you have developed.  We can't wait to see what the next six months has in store for you, but don't grow too quickly so we can savor all of the little moments with you.

Love, 

Mama, Daddy, and Teagan

1 Day old

SIX months!